Memo that told Blair aides Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat

[sabra]

Source: this is london

Intelligence experts explicitly warned Tony Blair's aides that Britain was not in "imminent danger of attack" from Saddam Hussein, a confidential memo revealed today.

The row over claims that the Government "spun" its way into war with Iraq is likely to be reignited after the release of the document by the Cabinet Office.

The memo, released after a long-running Freedom of Information battle, shows Mr Blair's officials knew seven years ago that the threat from Saddam was not immediate.

Despite the warning, the Government's dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction included a claim that Baghdad was ready to launch an attack within "45 minutes".

...

Another email published today underlines ministers' focus on how to get their message across in the media.

A memo from then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's office stresses the dossier had to be shown on the Sky News video "wall".

Read more: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23661598-details/Memo+that+told+Blair+aides+Saddam+Hussein+posed+no+imminent+threat/article.do

[Solly Mack]

1. "spun" ..Cowards too afraid to use the word lie

[sabra]

2. "a confidential memo revealed today" - and why wasn't it revealed before jan 20 2009?

[Solly Mack]

3. Of course! Would hate to embarrass an executive war criminal

(or anyone else )wouldn't be prudent.

But today Whitehall released a memo from former Cabinet Office defence expert Desmond Bowen, who later won promotion to policy director at the Ministry of Defence, which shows he disagreed Saddam posed an immediate threat

[Karenina]

10. My sig remains as a marker.

[Solly Mack]

11. Yep

it sure does

[ProgrezivIndie]

4. when do the WAR CRIME trials for BUSH/BLAIR & co. begin? k&r n/t

[myrna minx]

5. K&R n/t

[Ohio Joe]

6. A long time ago, I had a Garfield poster...

The cat was doing something funny... I forget what. What I do remember is the words that ran along the bottom of the poster. They have been the correct response to so many things... so, here they are:

Well Duh!

[FiveGoodMen]

7. And Blair's already said he was happy with what he did regardless of the evidence.

[Delphinus]

8. This is the kind of shit

that's happening to foment war against Iran. I hope the public and the Obama administration are smart enough to see through the lies this time.

[hugo_from_TN]

9. Didn't Bush say the same thing in a speech?

[kpete]

12. E-mails show UK officials' concern on Iraq dossier

Source: Reuters


E-mails show UK officials' concern on Iraq dossier
12 Mar 2009 18:16:15 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Adrian Croft

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - British intelligence officials were worried about a 2002 dossier the government used to justify invading Iraq and did not believe Britain was in imminent danger of attack, confidential e-mails released on Thursday showed.

The dossier, intended to bolster then Prime Minister Tony Blair against critics of his pro-American stance, said President Saddam Hussein was building up stocks of chemical and biological weapons and was "ready to use them".

It said Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes -- a claim later discredited.

Six months after its release in September 2002, British troops joined U.S. and other forces in invading Iraq to topple Saddam. No weapons of mass destruction were found.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LC515487.htm

[LynnTheDem]

13. The CIA said Saddam Hussein posed no threat. Hell, even George Tenet told Congress

Saddam Hussein posed no threat.

Funny how the "LIBERAL MEDIA" never bothered reporting those facts.

[OKNancy]

14. kick

[kpete]

15. Secret emails show Iraq dossier was 'sexed up'

Source: The Independent UK

Secret emails show Iraq dossier was 'sexed up'

Intelligence chiefs criticised 'iffy drafting' of key document

By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor

Friday, 13 March 2009

Secret Whitehall emails released yesterday provide damning new evidence that the notorious dossier making the case for invading Iraq was "sexed up".


They disclose that the intelligence services were sceptical over the "iffy drafting" of government claims that Saddam Hussein could mount a missile strike on his neighbours within 45 minutes of ordering an attack.

Officials privately mocked assertions that the Iraqi president was covertly trying to develop a nuclear capability and wisecracked that perhaps he had recruited "Dr Frankenstein" to his supposed crack team of nuclear scientists.

The release of a series of confidential memos and emails, following a protracted Freedom of Information battle, reignited the controversy over accusations that Tony Blair's government "spun" Britain into war.

Last night both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats renewed their demands for a full public inquiry into the decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/secret-emails-show-iraq-dossier-uwasu-sexed-up-1643960.html

[SpiralHawk]

16. "Move along. There's nothing to see here." - American corporate media

http://bp2.blogger.com/_HJrGkCIwYOg/R076IRN9YTI/AAAAAAAAB0I/0OOTjoRVYEI/s400/Anchorman+The+Legend+of+Ron+Burgundy+HD+DVD+Review.jpg

[krkaufman]

22. If *only* it were to get that much coverage in US M$M

I doubt it'll get *any* mention, let alone an obfuscation or dismissal.

[drm604]

17. I wish I could believe that this will get more exposure in the US than the Downing Street memo did

but I suspect that this will go down the memory hole like everything else.

[mod mom]

18. In light of Sy Hersh's revelations-it's time to re-open Dr David Kelly's suicide.

Here's some interesting background on Dr Kelly's "suicide" that I just posted on another thread:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/conspiracy_files/6378681.stm

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. Jon Stewart's next assignment, perhaps?

[No Elephants]

20. Next, you'll probably try to tell me that gambling goes on in Rick's Casino.

[acmavm]

21. Crap, I'd say something **snarfy** but at this point, it just isn't

worth it. We knew this then, this report is no surprise.

And of course, Tony Blair went on to teach a course at Yale University regarding faith and globalization for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Just they guy we need educating our college students. Fits right in with little Dougie Feith and the rest of the bastards that are responsible for so much death and destruction.